✫ 𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂

6

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: it's crazy how quickly this book become my favorite lol—

the sky above was a canvas of oranges, pinks, and purples as the sun began its descent, casting a warm, golden glow over the forest. y/n stood on the balcony of her tower, cradling a cup of piping hot coffee in her hands. the mug radiated warmth, a stark contrast to the cool evening breeze that rustled the treetops below. she sighed, the serenity of the moment almost making her forget the unpleasant taste of the coffee. the first sip she had taken earlier was enough to know it was nasty—bitter and grainy, almost undrinkable. the mere memory of the taste made her shiver, but she knew she couldn't be picky. the long hours of her shift required some form of caffeine, and this was all she had.

she stared at the dark liquid, debating whether or not to give it another try.

with a reluctant sigh, she leaned down to take another sip. just as the mug touched her lips, a crackle from the radio inside caught her attention. she had left the door cracked open just a smidge, enough to hear if there was an emergency. the static noise was followed by a familiar voice.

"hey, new girl, you there? this is connor from tower 12, do you copy?"

y/n set the mug down on the railing and walked over to the radio. she picked up the receiver, pressing the button to respond. "yeah, yeah, what's up..."

"just checking in on you. how's it going out there?"

"everything's fine," y/n replied, glancing back at the setting sun. "just watching the sunset."

"nice, nice," connor said, his tone relaxed. but then, suddenly, he cursed a string of words muffled by static.

"excuse me?" y/n asked, taken aback.

"sorry," he then groaned. "nobody bothers to get a camping permit these days anymore. just—do you have eyes on the smoke north of your position?" connor inquired urgently.

y/n turned and squinted into the distance. a large cloud of smoke was trailing into the sky, its dark plumes contrasting sharply against the twilight. she sighed, her heart sinking at the sight. "yeah, i see it," she confirmed. the truth was that she hoped that wasn't the start of a forest fire. that's the last thing she needs right now, especially since it's her first day. hopefully, it really was just a camper or two who snuck onto a restricted trail without a permit, since that sounds like a simple taste to handle in of itself.

connor's voice was strained with frustration, "i think that's coming from the lacey trail sector, which is not a registered camping site. people like that don't bother to clean up after themselves, and fire risks are high this season." he said, matter-of-factly.

y/n felt a knot form in her stomach. "you want me to check it out?"

"would you mind?" connor asked, almost pleading. "it's not too far from you. the last thing we need is a full-blown crisis on our hands. plus, those jerks need a reminder that they can't just set up camp wherever they please." he explained. y/n hesitated, the thought of venturing into the woods alone made her uneasy. that, and she wasn't any good at confrontation. what was she even going to say to the campers over there? 'hey, you're not supposed to be here, so leave before i make you' yeah, right—that threat sounded right out of a cheesy film from the 1980s.